Machine for shaping soles



22, 1939. F. v. HART 2,170,022

7 MACHINE FOR SHAPING SQLES Filed March 7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Tigl.

/NVENTL7R Aug. 22, 1939. F. V. HART MACHINE FOR SHAPING SOLES File d Mai-ch 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llll/ Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAOHINE FOR SHAPING SOLES Application March 7, 1938, Serial No. 194,269

21 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for shaping soles and is illustrated herein as embodied in a machine adapted for operating upon insoles having winged shanks.

Certain types of shoes include an insole, the shank of which has an extension on its inner side referred to herein as a winged portion which in the shoe conforms transversely and longitudinally to the shape of the adjacent part of the 1p: shoe upper and is intended to act as an arch support. In some shoes of this type the extremity of the Winged portion of the insole is bent inwardly in overhanging relation to the center of the Winged portion.

Moreover, even if the winged portion of the shank is not to be curved.- to the extent indicated above in the finished shoe, because of the tendency of insole material, such as leather, to spring away from the shape into which it may have been formed, it may be necessary initially to impart the above described shape to the sole.

Soles are commonly shaped, in accordance with the usual longitudinal and transverse curvatures of the last bottom, by being pressed between a form and shaping member. However, movement of the form and shaping member in a direction which is suitable for shaping a portion of an insole corresponding to the last bottom is ineffectual to bend the winged portion of a winged insole in the manner described above so that the extremity of the winged portion overhangs the adjacent part of it.

Accordingly, the invention provides, as one feature, a form adapted to support the shank of a sole the surfaces of which form, at each side of its central portion, are inclined first away from and then toward each other at its lower part, and shaping means, the form and means being mounted for movement relatively to each other laterally thereof to cause the Winged portion of the sole to be pressed against a lateral and lower surface of the form as well as being mounted for movement relatively to each other in another direction suitable for causing the central and outer portions of the shank of the sole to be pressed against corresponding parts of the form.

This shaping means comprises in the illustrated machine, as another feature of the invention, shaping members which are moved bodily toward the form in one direction and with respect to each other and the form in another direction to obtain the relative movements referred to above. Preferably, this latter movement of the shaping members is a swinging movement directed laterally of the form and results in the extremity of the winged portion of the sole being bent underneath the form if the winged portion of the sole is wide enough to come within the entire field of action of the shaping members. 5 Although both shaping members may be so mounted that their bodily movement toward the form may be utilized to swing them laterally of the form, this latter movement of one of the members, the inner one which operates upon the 10 winged portion of the sole in the illustrated machine, is operated by the other or outer shaping member which is mounted and arranged to bear directly against the central portion of the sole and to swing toward the form laterally thereof 15 in response to the bodily movement of the shaping means toward the form.

These and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully from the follow ing description when read in connection with the 20 accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of an illustrative machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an insole having a winged shank portion and which has been operated upon by the illustrated machine;

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation illustrating the form and sole shaping members in their inopera- 30 tive relation;

Fig. 4 illustrates the parts of Fig. 3 in their operative relation, the sole and the form being in section; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the form.

A machine of the type in which the present invention is illustrated herein as embodied is completely disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,939,750 granted on December 19, 1933, upon an application of E. E. Winkley to which reference may be made for a complete description of corresponding parts of the present machine referred to below and accordingly only such parts of the illustrated machine as are necessary for an understanding of the invention will be disclosed herein. Parts of the machine which will .be readily identified in the above-mentioned Winkley patent comprise tables [0, l2 above which are mounted for movement toward and away therefrom, clamps l4, [6, the clamps being arranged as in the patented machine to hold the fore and heel parts of the sole against a form 18 and heel part support 20 carried respectively by the tables In and I2.

An insole to be operated upon is placed with 5 its ribbed surface uppermost on the form 18 and support 28 in the desired position as indicated by gages of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned Winkley patent. At this time, as will be understood by reference to the Winkley patent, the form I8 and support 28 occupy positions below and in front of the clamps l4 and I6 for the sake of convenience to the operator in placing soles thereon. Upon treadling the machine, the tables l8 and I2 carrying the form l8 and support 28, are swung to a position directly underneath the clamps l4 and [B which then descend together to clamp the fore and heel parts of the sole. Thereupon, while the fore and heel parts of the sole are clamped, the clamp l6 and support 20 are lowered with respect to the form l8 until the sole-engaging surface of the support 28 is at the level of the uppermost part of the heel end of the form l8. Then a plunger 22, having pivotally connected thereto novel shaping means, such as a conforming tool 24, by means of pivotal connections similar to those to be found in the above-mentioned Winkley machine, is moved downwardly to cause the shank portion of the sole to be shaped about the shank portion of the form 18 thereby producing a sole which when removed from the machine appears as illustrated in Fig. 2 this sole having winged shank portion which has been curved both longitudinally and transversely somewhat in excess of its normal shape so that the sole may be made to fit the last closely.

In order to adapt the machine for operating upon insoles having winged shanks and because of the tendency of sole material to spring back somewhat from the shape into which it may have been formed, the illustrated form l3, although normal in contour at its upper side, has lateral surfaces which are inclined first away from and then toward each other the heightwise dimension of the shank portion of the form being reduced at the inside to produce an abruptly curved inner lower surface 26 about which the marginal part of the winged portion of the insole is bent, as will presently be described, so that the inner edge of the winged portion of the sole extends underneath the form Hi.

The inner marginal portion of the insole, including its winged portion, is thus pressed into conformity to the shape of the form l8 and the outer marginal portion of the sole is similarly shaped but to a lesser degree by the conforming tool 24 which comprises inner and outer shaping members 28 and 30 arranged to operate re spectively on the inner and the outer portions of the insole shank referred to above. The shaping member 30 is pivoted on a shaft 32 fixed in a holder 34 so as to permit the member 38, upon engaging the central portion of the sole, to swing laterally of the form from its position as illustrated in Fig. 3 toward that in which it is illustrated in Fig. 4. This movement of the shaping member 38, which is derived from the downward movement of the conforming tool 24 toward the form l8, then causes the outer portion of the insole to be bent downwardly in a gradual curve as well as to press the central portion of the insole against the uppermost part of the form. The inner shaping member 28, which operates upon the winged portion of the sole, is provided with a knuckle 36 arranged to bear against a rounded shoulder formed on the holder 34 so as to permit this member to swing toward and away from the outer member 30 and form l8. The inner member 28 is normally held in its inoperative position (Fig. 3) by a rod 38 which passes through a clearance hole in the holder 34 and is pivoted at 40 to the member 28. The rod 38 is normally urged outwardly of the holder 34 by a spring 42 the compression of which may be adjusted to any required degree by the nuts 44. It will be observed, with reference to Fig. 4, that the adjacent edges of the members 28 and 30 are so spaced as to permit the inner sewing rib of the insole to extend upwardly between them without being crushed. As this part of the rib is normally well toward the inner side of the shank portion of the form l8 where the surface of the form slopes rather abruptly from the horizontal, it is apparent that downward pressure of the member 28 against the portion of the insole adjacent to the rib would tend to be concentrated at this locality more than elsewhere and might not cause the member 28 to be tilted enough firmly to press the extremity of the winged portion of the sole against the lower side of the form. In order to avoid this difficulty, the members 28 30 have extensions 46, 48, respectively, fixed thereto, the extension 46 overlapping the extension 48 so that the swinging movement of the member 30 laterally of the form 18, which occurs in response to the downward movement of the conforming tool 24, results in a similar movement of the member 28. Similarly, movement of the member 28 toward its inoperative position under the influence of the spring 42 imparts a like movement to the member 30.

The sole-engaging surfaces of the members 28 and 38 opposite to the portions of the form 18 which are engaged by the sole (Fig. 4) are shaped substantially complementary to the corresponding areas of the form l8. Because the outer portion of the sole shank is to be only moderately curved transversely the central and outer portions of the member 30 diverge from the form, as illustrated in Fig. 4. However, the inner member 28 is so shaped transversely that its lower end lies under the shank portion of the form I 8 when in operative relation thereto, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the sole-engaging surface of the member 28 throughout its extent being substantially complementary to that of the form I 8.

Upon lowering the conforming tool 24 to shape the shank of the sole the latter is first engaged by the inside shaping member 28 the lower end of which strikes the winged portion of the sole and bends it downwardly about the upper and the inner lateral surface of the shank portion of the form IS. The inner end of the outside shaping member 30 then engages the central portion of the shank and in response to further downward movement of the conforming tool the member 30 is swung toward the form laterally thereof about the shaft 32 thereby causing the outer marginal portion of the sole shank to be formed in the shape illustrated in Fig. 4. Simultaneously with the swinging movement of the outer member 30 with respect to the holder 34 the inner shaping member 28 is similarly swung on its knuckle 36 toward the form 18 causing the lower end of the member 28 to be moved underneath the shank portion of the form 18 and to press the entire winged portion of the sole against the shank portion of the form l8.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application only to the shaping of the shanks of winged insoles, which have been referred to above merely for purposes of illustration, but that it comprehends the shaping of any part of any form of sole or other shoe part in Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for shaping soles, -a form adapted to support the shank of a sole the surfaces of which form, at each side of its central portion, are inclined first away from and then toward each other, and shaping means, said form and shaping means being-mounted for movement relatively to each other laterally thereof to cause the marginal portions of the sole to be pressed toward the sides of the form, said form and means being mounted for movement in another direction relatively to each other simultaneously with their first-mentioned movement to operate upon the central portion of the shank.

2. In a machine for shaping soles, a form adapt-- ed to support the shank of a sole the surfaces of which form, at each side of its central portion, are inclined first away from-and then toward each other, and shaping members} said shaping members being mounted at opposite sidesof saidform for movement laterally thereof, said form and members also being mountedfor movement relatively to each other in a direction substantially normal to the central portion-of the shank of the sole.

3. In a machine for shaping soles, a form adapted to support the shank of the sole the surfaces of which form, at each side of its central portion, are inclined first away from and then toward each other, and shaping members mounted for movement bodily toward said form in one direction, said members also being mounted for movement in opposite directions toward the sides of said form. 1 f

4. In a machine for shaping soles, a form adapted to support a sole, and shaping means, said form and shaping means being movable relatively to each other to impart a transverse curvature to the shank of the sole, said means including members mounted for movement toward each other to bend the sole shank about the form in response to movement of said form and shaping means toward each other.

5. In a machine for shaping soles, a form adapted to support the shank of a sole, and shaping means, said form and shaping means being movable relatively to each other to impart a transverse curvature to the shank of the sole, said means including members mounted to swing laterally of said form to bend the marginsof the sole about the sides of the form in response to relative movement of said means and form toward each other.

6. In a machine for shaping winged soles, a form adapted to support the shank portion of the sole, a shaping member arranged to cooperate with said form to impart a transverse curvature to the winged portion of the sole, a second shaping member mounted and arranged to operate on the central and outward marginal portion of the sole shank, a holder for said members in which said members are mounted for movement toward each other, and connections for causing the first mentioned member to be operated by movement of said second member.

7. In a machine for shaping soles, a form adapted tosupport the shank porrtion of a sole, shaping means, said form and shaping means being movable relatively to each other to impart a transverse curvature to the sole shank, said means including shaping members mounted for movement with respect to each other laterally of said form, one of said members being actuated by relative movement of said. means and form toward each other, and connections for causing movement of the last-mentioned member to operate the other member.

,;8. In a machine for shaping soles, a form adapted to support the shank portion of a sole, means movable toward and away from said form to impart a transverse curvature to the sole shank, said means comprising inner and outer shaping members arranged respectively to operate upon the inner and outer portions of the sole shank, said outer shaping member being mounted to swing laterally of said form in response to movemento-f said means toward said form, said inner shaping member also being mounted to swing laterally of the form and having a projection engaged bythe outershaping member whereby aswinging movement of the outer shaping member is imparted to the inner shaping member.

9. In, a machine for shaping, insoles having ribs, a form adapted to support an insole, and shaping means, said form and shaping means being movable relatively to each other to impartv a,

transverse curvature to the sole shank, said means. including members arranged to engage the sole shank exclusive of the rib and being mounted to swing toward said form in response to relative movement of said means and form toward each other to bend the insole shank about the sides of the form.

10. In a, machine for shaping insoles having ribs, a form adapted to support an insole, and shaping means cooperating with said form to im part a transverse curvature to the insole shank, said means comprising shaping members which are spaced to permit the rib of the insole to extend between them and mounted for. movement toward each other to bend the shank of the sole about the sides of said form.

11. In a machine for shaping insoles having ribs, a form adapted to support an insole, a sole shaping member constructed and arranged to operate on a portion of the sole shank extending from the rib toward the outer edge of the sole, a shaping member mounted and arranged to operate on a portion of the insole extending from said rib toward its inner edge, a holder in which said members are mounted for movement with respect to each other, means for moving said holder toward and away from said form, and connections between said members for causing one member to be operated by the other in response to movement of said holder toward said form.

12. In a machine for shaping soles, a form adapted to support a sole, and shaping means cooperating with said form toimpart a transverse curvature to the sole shank, said means including a plunger movable toward and away from said form and shaping members mounted on said plunger to swing laterally of said form in response to movement of said plunger toward said form.

13. In a machine for shaping soles, a form adapted to support a sole, and shaping members mounted for movement together heightwise of said form into engagement with the central portion of the sole and with respect to each other laterally of the form to bend the marginal portions of the sole shank toward each other into engagement with the sides of the form.

14. In a machine for shaping soles, a form adapted to support a sole, an shaping means cooperating with said form to impart a transverse curvature to the sole shank, said means comprising members arranged to swing laterally of said form, one of said members having an arm which is moved underneath said form laterally thereof to press a marginal portion of the sole against the lower surface of the form.

15. In a machine for shaping soles, a form adapted to support the shank of a sole, and shaping means comprising a holder carrying shaping members, said holder being mounted for movement heightwise of said form, said members being mounted to move toward and away from each other in response to the movement of said holder.

16. In a machine for shaping soles having winged shanks, a form adapted to support the shank portion of a sole and having upper and lateral surfaces which are convexly curved in accordance with the desired transverse curvature of the sole, and means mounted for movement toward said form in one direction to press the central portion of the sole shank into engagement with the form, said means comprising a member movable in another direction to bend the winged portion of the sole against a lateral surface of said form as said means is moved to ward said form.

17. In a machine for shaping soles having winged shanks, a form having continuous upper and lateral surfaces adapted to support the shank portion of the sole, and shaping means mounted for movement toward and away from said form to impart a transverse curvature to the sole shank, said means comprising a member mounted to swing transversely of said form to press the winged portion of the sole shank against a lateral surface of said form in response to movement of said means toward said form.

18. In a machine for shaping soles having winged shanks, a form adapted to support the shank of a sole, and shaping means for imparting a transverse curvature to the sole shank, said means being movable heightwise of said form toward the center of the shank of the sole and carrying a member mounted for movement laterally of the form to bend the winged portion of the sole toward a side of the form.

19. In a machine for shaping a sole having a winged shank, a form adapted to support the shank of a sole the surfaces of which form at each side of its central portion are inclined first away from and then toward each other, and shaping means cooperating with said form to impart a transverse curvature to the sole shank, said means comprising a member mounted for translatory and rotative movement to bend the winged portion of the sole into engagement with a lateral and lower surface of the form.

20. In a machine for shaping soles having winged shanks, means for clamping the fore and heel parts of a sole, a form adapted to support the sole shank, and shaping means cooperating with said form to impart a transverse curvature to the sole shank, said means comprising a member operated by movement of said means toward said form to bend the winged portion of the sole about the form.

21. In a machine for shaping soles having winged shanks, means for clamping the fore and heel parts of the sole, a form adapted to support the shank portion of the sole, and means cooperating with said form to impart a transverse curvature to the sole shank, said means comprising a member mounted for movement laterally of said form and having an arm adapted to bend the winged portion of the shank about a side of and underneath said form.

FRED V. HART. 

